A very small percentage of flight attendants can say they had a serious on board emergency during their whole flying career. I've red many books about aviation and most of the Crew quit flying because of family matters (getting married, having kids, somebody's health), starting their own business, moving on to something different or simply because they never were passionate about flying (in that case quitting happens quite quickly, unless they have some debts or loans to pay). Sometimes they quit because they got shocked from a difficult on board situation, an emergency. Well that is ALSO NOT my case, but I did have a handful of emergencies on board (check out my previous articles about Lightning Strike, Aborted Landing, Turbulence, Crosswind), the most severe one being told in this very article.
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| Shukran Award for outstanding performance in Emergency situation |
It was a sunny and hot September day in the desert on a Boeing 777 ready to depart for Sydney. As usual the flight was overbooked, so much that we had to place some economy bags in business class hatracks. I was seated on the lefthand side jumpseat, close to the engine, facing the passengers in the last economy cabin. In front of me a happy couple going to get married in Australia. Time for departure!
The aircraft is gaining speed and we finally take off, but just a dozen meters from the ground I hear a loud BANG and an abrupt balance loss, recovered very shortly. And then we keep on climbing. And climbing, And climbing for what it felt a lifetime! (Poor bird, it was struggling to lift a full weight with half power). The Crew knew something was wrong, we should have been released for duty by now. But as they say "hope is the last to die" and I've learned that well. Most of the passengers were unaware of the situation: sleeping, watching in-flight entertainment, chatting. Besides a couple of careful observers.
I called my Senior in economy telling about what I've heard and felt, informing him some random masks deployed in the next cabin. He confirmed the same and said we cannot contact the cockpit yet since we were still during the critical phase of take-off. So we had to wait.
And suddenly over the PA we heard that dreadful announcement of emergency that no Crew would ever want to hear. It's kind of a code that might not mean anything to the passengers, but it is there to alert the Crew. My blood froze. I think I might have become even more pale than I usually am (which means I looked quite ghostly Casper-like) and I thought I was going to pass out. Because for us Crew that meant End of Hope, it is happening to you, right here, right now. My first idea was to reach for water, but then I remember our procedures and also that everybody is watching. Take it easy Kina, breath in, breath out. Focus. You need to set an example here, not spread panic. Ok, it's gonna be ok.
Then we finally got the all-attendant-call and there it was: the verdict. Head of Cabin Crew talked to the pilots and was passing us the information. After making sure we all answered the interphone, she told us we had engine failure and we would have to return to base immediately, have an emergency landing and most probably brace for possible impact. No pressure there!
After the initial shock, there was no more space for distracting thoughts, the training kicked in and I went to full flight attendant mode, soldier like. I started revising my tasks and duties, go through possible different scenarios and making myself ready to react in any circumstance. Somehow time has expanded, so I even had some spare time to relax and meditate and observe the passengers while thinking about my loved ones. By now we already deployed emergency announcement on board and everyone was aware of the situation. Someone started crying, sobbing or holding hands like that Australian couple in front of me. That's when I thought "I don't wanna die alone, at least they are together! But I know I am loved and I've done and seen so much in my life. Come what may, I'm ready". Khallas.
Another PA alerted us that we were 2 minutes from ground and shortly Flight Crew gave the command to brace. Cabin Crew started echoing the command throughout the cabin alternately "BRACE, BRACE". Children started screaming as their parents assumed brace position, squeezing them in motherly arms. I could see the desperation around me. Be ready! You cannot do anything until we are in the air, but the moment we touch the ground, it's your turn Kina! Be ready!
And finally we touched the ground in the less possible rough way, given the situation (later on people on ground told us there were sparks). We stopped halfway through the runway and following our pilots command, implemented the procedures while the fire prevention trucks poured water on the engine and tires that at this point got totally flat. There was no need to deploy the sliderafts, but we still had rapid deplaning.
When we finally reached the airport we immediately had a meeting to discuss what just happened. The Crew was overexcited and full of adrenaline because, HEY, we just survived!!! On the way to the meeting room I met my academy batch mate and I quickly told her: "I just had an emergency landing!", her jaw dropped saying "You were on the Sydney flight?! We heard your pilots call "May Day" over the radio!!! OMG, are you Ok?!"... Only when I got home and everything finished I actually realized how tired I was - that was a huge psychological effort!
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| The Dreamteam |
I was happy and thankful to our excellent 4 pilots as well as the whole Cabin Crew team who gave an outstanding performance in such a difficult situation. One thing I've learned is never to leave any unsolved matters before a flight: if I need to solve a misunderstanding, say Thank you, I miss you or I love you to someone, I shall do that before duty. Well I was already doing that by instinct, but now I realized how important that was, what peace and strength it gives you in the extreme situation.
Aviation is the safest means of transportation, but things can happen and flying is not exactly as going to the office every day. That's a compromise we accept, we signed up for it from the day 1. My best friend from childhood (the one who years ago signaled me the recruiting for becoming a Flight Attendant near my city and pushed me to participate and consequently become one!) was shocked when she heard about my adventure, being exactly that day - her birthday! I told her "Marina I'm reborn today, so we can both celebrate birthdays on this day from now on!".
The whole set of Crew got grounded until the investigations were over and that particular flight departed with a different aircraft and a different set of Crew the same evening. Among the new crew was another of my academy batch mates - and the news was spreading fast: passengers were grateful and ready to go home, especially that new weds who thanked me on social media. I was pretty calm when I resumed flying after 10 days, but when I first flew on Boeing 777, I'll admit, I was anxious for a moment. A year later I happened to fly on that same aircraft ETL echo-tango-lima (I'll never forget it!) and it happened to be a 17h flight over the Ocean! Of course I knew there was nothing to fear, except.... memories!
